Telomerase, an enzyme that maintains telomeres and endows eukaryotic cells with immortality, was first discovered in tetrahymena in 1985. In 1990s, it was proven that this enzyme also plays a key role in the infinite proliferation of human cancer cells. Now telomere and telomerase are widely accepted as important factors involved in cancer biology, and as promising diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets. Recently, role of telomerase in "cancer stem cells" has become another attractive story. Until now, there are several good books on telomere and telomerase focusing on biology in ciliates, yeasts, and mouse or basic sciences in human, providing basic scientists or students with updated knowledge.

InhaltsangabePreface Contributors Part I. Basic background 1 Telomeres and Telomerase in Human Keiko Hiyama, Eiso Hiyama, and Jerry W. Shay 2 Telomere Binding Proteins in Human Nadya Dimitrova 3 Regulation of Telomerase through Transcriptional and Post-Translational Mechanisms Amy N. Depcrynski, Patrick C. Sachs, Lynne W. Elmore, and Shawn E. Holt 4 Telomere Dysfunction and the DNA Damage Response Malissa C. Diehl, Lynne W. Elmore, Shawn E. Holt 5 Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) in Human Cells Hilda A. Pickett and Roger R. Reddel 6 Mouse model: Telomeres and Telomerase in Stem Cell and Cancer Xin Huang, Zhenyu Ju Part II Telomeres and telomerase in human cancers 7 Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer Keiko Hiyama, Eiso Hiyama, Keiji Tanimoto, Masahiko Nishiyama 8 Diagnostic Value 1: Solid Tumors Eiso Hiyama and Keiko Hiyama 9 Diagnostic Value 2: Hematopoietic Malignancies Junko H. Ohyashiki and Kazuma Ohyashiki 10 Therapeutic Targets and Drugs 1: Telomerase and Telomerase Inhibitors Brittney-Shea Herbert and Erin M. Goldblatt 11 Therapeutic Targets and Drugs 2: G-quadruplex and G-quadruplex Inhibitors Chandanamali Punchihewa and Danzhou Yang 12 Therapeutic Targets and Drugs 3: Tankyrase 1, Telomere Binding Proteins, and Inhibitors Hiroyuki Seimiya and Takashi Tsuruo 13 Therapeutic Targets and Drugs 4: Telomerase-specific Gene and Vector-based Therapies for Human Cancer Toshiyoshi Fujiwara, Yasuo Urata, and Noriaki Tanaka Part III Experimental protocols 14 Protocol 1: Telomerase Activity and Telomerase Expression Eiso Hiyama 15 Protocol 2: Importance and Methods of Telomere G-tail Length Quantification Akira Shimamoto, Eriko Aoki, Angie M Sera, Hidetoshi Tahara 16 Protocol 3: Detection of Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) Wei-Qin Jiang, Jeremy D. Henson, Axel A. Neumann, and Roger R. Reddel Index